*NEW* Faith & Beliefs Part-Time Officer 

- The purpose of this role would be to represent, advocate and support students of faith and specific beliefs during their time at University. 
 

-The person in this role would work to encourage inter-faith dialogue and multi-faith activities that allow people of the same or different faiths/believes to gather together and celebrate cultural diversity. 

- This person would work to tackle racism and religious discrimination on campus by providing informative and educational communication/opportunities with and for all students. 
 

- This role would exist to celebrate and recognise the diverse and inclusive environment of our UWTSD campuses, providing mediums and forums to gather like-minded individuals together and learn about different cultures. 
 

Rationale 

This role is important as UWTSD is quite behind in terms of celebrating different faiths/beliefs as other Unions already have this role or at least have multi-faith societies. 
 

Of all the officially protected characteristics, 'Faith & Beliefs' is one of the only characteristics that doesn't have an official part-time officer role to support and advocate for it - this is an opportunity to further strengthen our university community all while encouraging Student Union engagement. 
 

Activities that could be undertaken by someone in this role: 

- A social media page that marks and celebrates the wide range of religious/cultural festivals/activities and celebrations throughout the academic year ( (Eid, Diwali, Easter, Sabbath etc.) providing an explanation as to where the celebrations originate and why it is significant to religious believers. A lot of racism and discrimination comes from misconception and stereotypes surrounding religious indivuals and their activities - informing other students of other faiths and beliefs would act to squash these stereotypes and bring these communities together. 

- Support students of faith in celebrating different festivals using SU resources. E.g. A lot of international students that attend UWTSD from Malaysia are Muslim - the Faith & Beliefs Officer could support these students by reaching out and booking out a University room/Zoom room for their celebrations  and providing decorations/traditional items, providing them and any other practising Muslims on campus a medium to celebrate together. This would also be an opportunity for any non-Muslim students to attend and learn about the culture and its practices. 
 

- Collaborate with existing staff and systems that work to support students of certain belief systems (e.g. Christian Union, Chaplain etc.). 
 

- Provide social opportunities (Teams calls, meals, bowling, laser tag etc.) that work to bring students together and provide them a distraction from normal and common issues that face students. Encouraging interfaith dialogue and opportuities to enhance social well-being. 
 

What this is not... 

- A role to support and advocate for one specific religion. 
- An opportunity for believers and non-believers  to come into conflict and cause offence. 
- A role just for people of faith (the 'belief' aspect includes atheism, humanitarianism, and any other belief system). 
- A debate club where people 'fight' over whose religion/belief is the best. 
 

The person who occupies this role would require strong communication skills as well as being respectful, empathetic, approachable and enthusiastic about supporting students and people of different faiths and beliefs. 
 

This person in this role would NOT have to be an expert on all religions, there are thousands of resources online that provide a basic foundational knowledge of the different types of religions and beliefs - this post would also be an opportunity for the occupier to learn and potentially develop their own spirituality. Plus, they would have SU staff and resources to support their own development. 
 

potential candidates for this role could be: Teaching trainees/education-based students that specialise in RE,

 

international students who are passionate about their own religion and learning about and engaging with others

students of RE related courses,

students that study certain religions,

students that are passionate about learning about others and giving students a voice. 
 

There may be concerns that the person who occupies this role could be too passionate about their own faith/belief/lack thereof to be provide equal opportunities for all faiths - this is where SU staff support and monitoring is really Important and is indeed the case for all PTO's. 
 

For example, a disability officer with a physical disability could be just as likely to not advocate for those with mental disabilities. Or a lesbian LGBT officer not advocating for bisexuals etc. It is important that the SU monitors students in all PTO roles to avoid such things. 
 

i think this would be a really useful role that could work to improve representation for students of faith and provide opportunities for students to learn more about other cultures and belief systems - giving opportunities for students to learn about themselves and their spirituality/lack thereof.